Download WH Holt: The Beginnings of Civilization

WH Holt: Mesopotamia & Sumer
Geography promotes Civilization!
In southwest Asia the __________________ curves between the ________________ and the
__________________________.
The area between the _________________________and _________________________ Rivers is called
Mesopotamia (means: between the rivers)
5500BC People were farming in southern Mesopotamia mainly due to the spring flooding of both rivers
fertilizing the soil with silt.
Due to frequent flooding or drought the inhabitants developed ways to control the water:
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
3. __________________________________
How did these projects get coordinated? Leaders and governments developed … The Sumerians
developed the first civilization called _____________________________
3000 BC: Within the civilization of Sumer cities developed by building with __________________bricks
and creating a temple to honor the chief god with a pyramid on top called a ________________________.
Each city built a _____________________________ around itself for protection and grew crops outside
the wall for their people. Over time each city began to develop their own ________________ and formed
________________________ (a political unit with their own government and ideas) and began to fight
other city states over land.
Religion: ______________: Worshiped many gods, mostly natural gods therefore giving the __________
the most respected positions and ruled like kings. These kings would have their children and families
take over generation after generation and developed a _______________(ruler are all from the same
family).
Sumerians created the first writing system called _____________-(page 35) where they used sharp tools
called ______________ to carve ________________.
a. __________________________________
b. __________________________________
c. Best known epic story was __________________________
Developed a math system based on the number __________ (why we use 60 minutes) and Geometry for
building ___________________________ and __________________________.
Sumerians also created:
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
3. __________________________________
4. __________________________________
5. __________________________________
6. __________________________________
7. __________________________________
Sumerians traded with many other city-states and created a social hierarchy:
1. Top: were _____________________________
2. Next: _________________________________
3. Below: ________________________________
4. Bottom: ________________________________
Empires in Mesopotamia:
_______________________________ from _______________________ 2330 BC (north of Sumer) over
took Sumer and controlled the Fertile Crescent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The
Akkadian Empire adopted many of the Sumerians’ culture including the language. Lasted for ______
years until the __________________ attacked from the east and created a new Empire called the
Babylonian Empire!
1792 The Amorite _________________________ not only a great warrior and great trader he created a
set of laws to control his people called Hammurabi’s Code: A set of codes the were retaliatory, “
____________________________” (read codes, student assignment)
The Babylonian Empire lasted about _______________ years.